One of the most soul-destroying elements of the summer just passed for residents of the British Isles was undoubtedly the agonisingly tortuous transfer saga of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose slick-haired mug filled thousands of column inches.
If the twinkle-toed Portugeezer wasn’t being photographed basting himself on a sun lounger, he was being linked with a move through a series of non-commital quotes and cryptic interviews with his family members.
Ronaldo, arguably the most talented player in the Premier League, wasn’t exactly flavour of the month with most non-United fans for his cocky swagger, his diving, and not to mention that wink, but when he made his long-awaited return from injury last night, United fans forgave all and cheered him on. Fickle? You betcha.
S’Alex Ferguson said of the matter:
“The crowd reaction was important to Cristiano. It will help him to realise what a great club he is at and how loyal those fans are to him. He will take great encouragement from that.
“Cristiano has shown great loyalty in five years but has had a turbulent summer when a lot was said. But we had a meeting in June in Portugal and the matter was over.
“Since then he has dedicated himself to getting fit and committing to the club.” (The S*n)
So are the United faithful a bunch of glory-hunting goons, who lustily applauded Ronaldo because he represents the man that can drive them to success, or are they just very forgiving?